The Southern Roos put any doubts that they would struggle after losing a host of quality players in the off-season behind them. 

James Staude kicked 11, debutante Todd Lawrence six, Michael Phelan three and Alastair McCrae three.

Coach Nick Pekin said he was happy with the performance.  

“We got off to a bit of a slow start but overall I’m very happy, especially with how the seven debutantes went,” he said. “Pimpinio just ran out of puff in the end but they started off pretty well. It looked our new blokes had already played 20 or 30 odd games together and they were up for the standard and they’ll only get better.”

William Plush, Lawrence and Harrison Rees were named best on for the Southern Roos, while Liam Jakobi, coach Nathan Sachse and Dylan Arnott were named best on for Pimpinio. 

Harrow-Balmoral will be boosted next week by the return of Simon Close and potentially five other players who missed the game. 

Sachse said his side’s first quarter was pleasing, but then after that Harrow-Balmoral dominated. 

“We had a great first quarter and our intensity was on par with them and we really made them work,” he said.

“After that our lack of fitness really let us down. We became spectators and our run just ceased.

“Harrow-Balmoral are a very fit and well-balanced team with a good mix of talls and runners. They’re going to be hard to beat.”